Chapter: Tansen

• Introduction to Tansen

  • Identity: Greates musician of India
  • Birthplace: Behat near Gwalior
  • Early Life: Only child of Mukandan Mishra
  • Talent: Extremely naughty, mischievous, and a brilliant imitator

• Meeting Swami Haridas

  • Forest Incident: Tansen hides in the forest mimicking a tiger’s roar
  • Reaction: Traveling holy man Swami Haridas is not scared; recognizes his talent
  • Apprenticeship: Tansen becomes Swami Haridas’s disciple for eleven years
  • Mastery: Learns music and becomes a master musician

• Life as a Court Musician

  • Marriage: Marries Hussaini
  • Children: Has four children, all musical
  • First Patron: King Rewa (Raja Ramachandra)
  • Emperor's Call: Emperor Akbar hears of him and summons him to court

• Tansen at Akbar's Court

  • Status: Becomes a favorite musician of Akbar
  • Royal Favor: Akbar often visits Tansen's house, listens to him practice, and bestows gifts
  • Jealousy: Other courtiers become jealous of Tansen's rising fame and favor

• The Conspiracy by Courtiers

  • Mastermind: Shaukat Mian
  • Plan: Trick Tansen into singing the Raga Deepak
  • Lethal Nature of Raga Deepak: Makes the air so hot that the singer's body burns to ashes

• The Challenge and Solution

  • Akbar's Order: Asks Tansen to sing Raga Deepak
  • Tansen's Dilemma: Cannot disobey the Emperor; knows the danger
  • Clever Preparation:
    • Asks for time to prepare
    • Teaches his daughter Saraswati and her friend Shruti to sing Raga Megh (the song of rain) immediately after

• The Climax & Resolution

  • Performance Day:
    • Tansen begins singing Raga Deepak
    • Courtyard becomes scorching hot; plants wither, birds fall dead, water boils
  • Counter-Performance:
    • Saraswati and Shruti start singing Raga Megh
    • Clouds gather, rain falls, and Tansen's life is saved
  • Aftermath: Tansen falls ill, but the city rejoices; Akbar realizes his mistake and punishes the enemies